Washington: America's relationship with Pakistan was and continues to be "complicated", the White House has said while acknowledging that in country's security interest and region's stability the bond is "important".

"The (US-Pak) relationship has been and continues to be complicated but is very important to our national security interest, to our fight against al-Qaeda, and to the stability of the region," the White House Press Secretary, Jay Carney, told reporters on Monday at his daily news conference.

Afghanistan and Pakistan, Carney said, continues to be a priority area for the Obama Administration.

"It's obviously a high priority, a national security priority for the President. We're very transparent about the implementation process of the President's strategy and we'll continue to be," he said.

"We are in now a phase of drawing down the surge forces as we begin the transition to Afghan security lead that will reach a culmination in 2014," he said in response to a question.

"It (Afghanistan and Pakistan) is certainly an issue that is discussed frequently in the President's national security time with his National Security Council advisors," he said.(Agencies)